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Sunday, August 25, 2013

Here is a new design that was on my drawing board and now in a tangible form. Hope you like it. The highlights are the collar that has also been designed with broomstick lace.
I hope to release the pattern for this also. I am thinking of maybe naming the process..."Broomstick made easy"..series, adding tips and helps too. I need more time, as I hope to get the bonnet also to be moved from my drawing board ..so the next one you can expect is the bonnet.

Each of these series, has been patterned after a lot of iterations. Having designed many such, I like this series the best.
The one pattern that is available now is HERE Do try this when you have some free time.

Broomstick lace remains my favorite stitch.

Thanks so much dear friend for visiting my blog. And until we meet again, wishing you happy crocheting moments, and God Bless.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

So here I am designing a new broomstick baby set, comprising of blanket, bootees, Bonnet, Mittens and Cardigan...making progress step by step. All are new patterns, please check again for them, after I have completed the full set.

These are the bootees...

these are the mittens..

this is a partial view of the blanket..yet to take some full view photos..

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Visit the shores again and got so inspired, each wave seemed like pretty freshly crochet doilies reaching out to my feet!!

I waited for the sun to set. A lone bird was flying past.. Everything turned golden ..

Some were playing with the waves...

Some were walking along the waves..

It was spectacular to see the seaweeds being washed ashore..some looked like crochet woven strands..

The pier and the smell of the sea was so comforting and reminded me of the sea next to which I grew up.

The waves never get tired and come on again and again to touch the shore..

These birds were strolling around too..this birdie was looking at human footprints!!

The mountains beyond...the sound of the waves, people playing, birds flapping by were all so harmoniously beautiful..

There was so much color lighting up the skies..

And food too...

The funnel cake..

The highlight of the visit was watching art ..a painting being done by just using the nails and finger tips. Each piece was exquisite painted on mirrors. There is no end to the world of colors and working with anything that one has. No paint brushes no easel and no fancy studio..with sand at the feet, and fingers as brushes and nails as pen tips, and a few blotches of color, the sky the roof, and the passers by the audience, there was genius etched into every painting, that told a story.
Until we meet again with lots of love
Shanti

It was a fun trip to see Hollywood homes, last week, and relate to them.
The huge sign atop the mountain was good to see too.

The following poster does explain about the city site.

Just at the foot of the hills we could see bustling activity ..

There were n number of stars of famous people. Took a few pictures ,,
One of my favorites..you can read more about him HERE..Zubin Mehta

Here I was waiting for the little tour bus that stopped by each Hollywood home. I was most excited when I saw Lucille Bals's home ,,she would have been a 102 years old as on date ..as a child I have watched her programs and enjoyed them!! More about Lucille HERE.

The tour guide did take around all the celebrity homes..There was sadness when I saw the bedroom where Michael Jackson had died, and the home where his body was brought out from. I have watched his programs as well.

I came back inspired by many a structures, and color and designs and landscape..In my art they all do inform and get integrated in some way or the other. I can write plenty but this will suffice for now!!

Friday, August 9, 2013

There are a wide variety of scarves. But a neck tie certainly is sophisticated and draws that quantum of focus to the face, framing it with the goodness of the necktie, whilst it offers many more benefits. It adds interest to what it defines.
I have designed this neck tie, in a way that
1. The tie has a neat fall, that secures the tie in place.
2. The tie gives a reversible option to be worn either with the pink highlights around the neck or the variegated portion around the neck.
3. The tie has two different stitches incorporated into it, that gives it a natural break, for the tie portion and the neck part. The three floral highlights also bring definition to the face. Varying the choice of colors will give you a wide range of choice in effects.
4. The tie can double up as a trouser/ skirt. or jean sash, around the hip.
5. The design is open light and airy and certainly does not add discomfort or weight to the wearer.

I designed this two days ago and just completed it. I have written my pattern for you. Request you to link back to my blog with your creations that you have been inspired to make, even if you have made any variations of what I have made. Please also leave a comment for me. It is so good to know how you have been inspired,

Name of the Project:
Floral burst Necktie

Designed and made by:
Dr Shanti Mary Samuel (your's truly)Materials needed
One skein soft yarn solid color, one skein variegated yarn with a complementary shade. I have used Bernat Baby coordinates yarn.

Getting the flowers ready. Make a slip knot with the variegated yarn. Start with 5 chains and join with a slip stitch. Work * three chains to count as one dc work two triple crochet into the ring, chain 3. Slip stitch inside the ring. (These three chains and two triple crochet stitches make one petal). Continue from * to make 5 petals all together. Fasten off and weave in ends. Make three such flowers ..you will find that in one flower I have added 6 petals ..you could do that too, although the petals tend to curl up when they are too dense.
Keep the flowers aside and start working on the scarf now.

The scarf is basically made with rows of broomstick crochet. You will need basic knowledge of how to make broomstick lace.

As you will notice one portion of the scarf is with pink yarn whilst the other part is made with a variegated yarn. The pink serves as the larger portion that goes around the neck, and the variegated portion is the tie and the focal piece. Please also notice the change in design.

Start with a slip knot using pink yarn.
Chain 20.
Chain two to count as first dc.
Turn work
dc into the third chain from hook
dc into the rest of the 18 chains. (from now on you will not turn the work)

Without turning work draw loops through all the 20 chains, one by one, and loop them, casting them onto a knitting needle or wooden dowel. You will have 20 loops. ** Now gather the first five loops and insert hook into this 5 group of loops, , work five sc into them. One broomstick lace cluster is thus formed. Make four more clusters.

You will have a total of 20 scs now. Now draw through all 20 chains, one by one again without turning the work, casting them again on to the knitting needle. Work from ** for 21 more rows and until you have a total of 22 rows.
Now turn work and dc across the entire row, and fasten off.

Make a slip knot with the variegated yarn. With the right side facing join you yarn and draw through and cast on 20 loops on to the knitting needle. (from now on you will not turn work) Without turning work, make one turning chain and then work one sc into each loop (no gathering of 5 loops together, each loop is worked on independently) Draw through all 20 chains and repeat rows until you get a total of 8 rows.

Edging: chain 3, work two dc and one slip stitch into the next space. Continue until end. (make a similar edging on the dc row that you started with).

Sew on the three flowers on the last row of dcs where the new rows of broomstick lace start.
Fasten off and weave in ends.

Wear your neck tie by wrapping the longer portion around the neck and the draw the other end through and flip it over with the tie portion shorter and in front. Well......... the options to wear it are as per your choice!!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures.
Until we meet again
Lots of love
Shanti